Q&A ยท 1:41:11-1:42:01

Could dummy containers conceal a missile ship?

Dummy cargo creates its own visible and commercial inconsistencies in the proposed disguise.

Question

Could dummy containers make a ship carrying containerized missiles look like an ordinary container ship?

Short answer

They could change its appearance, but empty-container movements and an unusually light draught would create other signs that the ship was not trading normally.

Notes

A dummy stack introduces questions about how the vessel earns money when it repeatedly delivers and retrieves empty containers. Empty boxes also contribute less weight than the cargo they are meant to imitate. The ship can therefore sit conspicuously high in the water. Both its trading pattern and its draught are possible weaknesses in the disguise.